“Oh, really?” Lucy said, shining a light in June’s eyes.
June’s eyes narrowed. “What do you know?”
“Nothing,” Lucy said with a smile. “You seem to be okay. But I don’t think you should be overdoing things, June. This is the second time you’ve fainted within a month.”
“I’m trying not to,” June admitted. “But it’s hard. I’m not used to sitting around doing nothing.”
“I understand that,” Lucy told her. “Why not try to do things in moderation?”
“I don’t really understand that word.” June laughed.
“Try,” Lucy told her, jotting something on her tablet. “Also, if you are going to go for long walks, try to take little breaks and take an energy bar or electrolyte drink with you.”
“Okay,” June said, giving in. She was feeling a little drained. “I will, I promise.”
“I’m going to check your ribs,” Lucy said. “Then you won’t have to come in tomorrow.”
“Good idea,” June said.
A few minutes later, Lucy finished wrapping June’s ribs. “All done.” She smiled. “You’re healing nicely. But please, June, take it easy or at least a little easier than you have been.”
“June, I know that Holt is here for at least six to seven weeks,” Lucy told her, looking worried. “I’m worried because if you faint every time you see him…” she was half-teasing and half-serious. “That won’t be good for either of you”
“I’ll buy a helmet,” June said with a laugh. “Really, Lucy, I’ll be fine. I guess it was just a shock and with the head injury, etc…”
“Okay, but please, remember what we talked about,” Lucy repeated. “And I’ll need to see you next week again for your next check-up appointment.”
“I promise I’ll try,” June promised. “Thank you for this.”
“Of course,” Lucy said. “I’ll get my nurse to make an appointment for you, and she’ll give you a call with a time and date.”
“That’s great,” June said, standing up. “I’ll see you next week.”
As she walked through the halls to find her sister. June’s mind spun over the information that Lucy had told her about Holt.He was staying here for six weeks. Six weeks! Unless she locked herself inside her daughter’s house for the next six weeks, there was no way of avoiding running into Holt again. Especially as her grandson and his grandson were best friends.
June closed her eyes, trying to process the implications of having Holt in Sandpiper Shores for months instead of days. The carefully constructed walls she’d built around her heart suddenly felt fragile, inadequate protection against the reality of sustained proximity to the one person who could unravel everything. Yes, June had loved Trevor. He’d been the second love of her life, but Holt had been her first and one true love. That big once-in-a-lifetime love. She swallowed and shook off all thoughts of Holt as she walked through to the family room, her sister and granddaughters were waiting for her.
“June? How are you?” Carmen, Grace, and Becky stood up and walked over to her.
“Are you okay, Gran?” Grace and Becky asked in unison.
“Your grandmother is fine,” Lucy said as she walked up behind her. “But she does need to take things easy and drink a lot of water.”
“We’ll make sure she listens,” Grace was the one to answer Lucy.
“Good!” Lucy said and turned to June. “Nurse Martinez will call you with a date and time for your checkup appointment during the course of today or tomorrow morning.”
With that, Lucy left them, and Carmen took them home.
As they drove home, June couldn’t help but reflect on the summer ahead. A summer that had promised to be a peaceful recovery was beginning to feel like a reckoning thirty-eight yearsin the making. And somewhere in this small town, Holt Dillinger was probably thinking the same thing.
As they pulled into Willa’s driveway, June caught sight of the lighthouse in the distance and felt that familiar flutter of panic mixed with something she didn’t want to examine too closely.
Tomorrow, she would have to figure out how to navigate a town that suddenly felt too small to contain both her past and her present. Tonight, she just wanted to spend time with her daughter, granddaughters, grandson, and sister to enjoy some of the peace and family she’d come here for.
But even as she thought it, June knew that kind of peace was probably beyond her reach now. Holt was here, in the place where their story had begun, and after thirty-eight years of careful avoidance, she was finally going to have to face the consequences of the choice they had both made all those years ago.
11
